Changes in Leadership at Zumtobel Group

1 MIN READ
CEO Harald Sommerer and CFO Mathias Dähn have resigned from the Zumtobel Group, effective Sept. 30, 2013. Ulrich Schumacher has been appointed CEO effective Oct. 1, 2013. His term will run through Apr. 30, 2017. He will also serve as interim CFO until the position is filled. A search is underway.
According to a press statement released by the Zumtobel Group, this change in upper level management is a result of differing opinions between the company’s Supervisory Board and Sommerer and Dähn regarding operational strategies as the company continues to shift to LEDs.
Jürg Zumtobel, the Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Zumtobel AG, said in the press statement, “In Ulrich Schumacher we have been able to recruit a proven technology expert with a track record of remarkable entrepreneurial successes. Under his leadership Zumtobel AG will be able to concentrate once again on its longstanding success factors – a strong technology focus on the one hand and ground-breaking expertise in aesthetic design and architecture on the other hand. Particularly in the important phase of the technology shift to LEDs and electronics, new opportunities are opening up for artificial lighting in terms of both functionalities and design. We must now systematically make use of these opportunities to build on our market position.”
Schumacher holds a Ph.D. in electrical engineering and has also studied Economics and Administration. Prior to joining the Zumtobel Group he was with Siemens and Infineon Technologies AG.

About the Author

Elizabeth Donoff

Elizabeth Donoff is Editor-at-Large of Architectural Lighting (AL). She served as Editor-in-Chief from 2006 to 2017. She joined the editorial team in 2003 and is a leading voice in the lighting community speaking at industry events such as Lightfair and the International Association of Lighting Designers Annual Enlighten Conference, and has twice served as a judge for the Illuminating Engineering Society New York City Section’s (IESNYC) Lumen Award program. In 2009, she received the Brilliance Award from the IESNYC for dedicated service and contribution to the New York City lighting community. Over the past 11 years, under her editorial direction, Architectural Lighting has received a number of prestigious B2B journalism awards. In 2017, Architectural Lighting was a Top Ten Finalist for Magazine of the Year from the American Society of Business Publication Editors' AZBEE Awards. In 2016, Donoff received the Jesse H. Neal Award for her Editor’s Comments in the category of Best Commentary/Blog, and in 2015, AL received a Jesse H. Neal Award for Best Media Brand (Overall Editorial Excellence).Prior to her entry into design journalism, Donoff worked in New York City architectural offices including FXFowle where she was part of the project teams for the Reuters Building at Three Times Square and the New York Times Headquarters. She is a graduate of Bates College in Lewiston, Me., and she earned her Master of Architecture degree from the School of Architecture at Washington University in St. Louis.

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